North Korea has agreed to lift some border restrictions with its Southern neighbour in what is believed to be an attempt to reestablish diplomatic relations. The government announced that it will begin to reunite separated families again and allow tourism to the Diamond Mountain resort in Kaesong, ending a blockade that was imposed after South Korean president Lee Myung-bak halted a free flowing aid policy last year. This comes after a tense period where the North restarted nuclear and missile tests earlier this year. And messages remain mixed. While these changes may signal a willingness on North Korean’s part to reengage in the six-nations talks aimed at denuclearization, the government has also placed its army on “special alert” in response to joint U.S. and South Korean military drills, which the country says are a “blatant challenge” to peace.